Camera mirror assembly for vehicle

Abstract

A camera mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a folding unit configured to be rotated with respect to a fixed shaft formed in a base provided in the vehicle; and a support frame in which the folding unit and a camera are mounted at both ends thereof, wherein the support frame is configured to be folded or unfolded to change a position of the camera as the folding unit rotates. Further, the folding unit includes a driving housing, a driving portion, a driven gear portion fixed to the fixed shaft, and a driving force transfer portion for transferring a driving force of the driving portion to the driven gear portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A camera mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
 a folding unit configured to be rotated with respect to a fixed shaft formed in a base provided in the vehicle; and 
 a support frame in which the folding unit and a camera are respectively mounted at both ends thereof, wherein the support frame is configured to be folded or unfolded to change a position of the camera as the folding unit rotates, 
 wherein the folding unit includes:
 a driving housing; 
 a driving portion being seated on the driving housing and including a driving motor and a driving gear disposed on a rotational shaft of the driving motor; 
 a driven gear portion affixed to the fixed shaft; 
 a driving force transfer portion for transferring a driving force transferred through the driving gear to the driven gear portion; and 
 a vibration attenuator configured to attenuate vibration generated by the driving portion, 
 
 wherein the vibration attenuator includes an elastic member mounted in a cover coupled to the driving housing and disposed to contact an end portion of the rotational shaft when the cover is coupled to the driving housing, and 
 wherein the elastic member includes a guide portion formed at a distal end thereof, which is extended toward the driving housing from a proximal end mounted in the cover and curved away from the end portion of the rotational shaft. 
 
     
     
       2. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member includes:
 a mounting portion mounted in the cover; 
 a first extension portion extended from the mounting portion in a direction from the driving housing toward the cover; and 
 a second extension portion extended from an end portion of the first extension portion in a direction from the cover toward the driving housing, 
 wherein the guide portion is formed at an end portion of the second extension portion to be curved away from the end portion of the rotational shaft. 
 
     
     
       3. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 2 , wherein, when the cover is coupled to the driving housing, the end portion of the rotational shaft moves along the guide portion to contact the second extension portion, and the elastic member is elastically deformed by the end portion of the rotational shaft to allow the elastic member to apply a restoring force to the end portion of the rotational shaft. 
     
     
       4. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is configured to attenuate vibration generated along a direction of a rotational axis of the rotational shaft. 
     
     
       5. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a wire that enables transfer of a control signal for operation control of the folding unit and the camera, 
 wherein the wire is disposed along a side of the support frame. 
 
     
     
       6. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the support frame further includes a wire fixing portion inserted into an insertion groove formed at the side thereof to fix the wire. 
     
     
       7. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the driving force transfer portion includes at least one gear portion including an input gear to which the driving force is input and an output gear that outputs the driving force, and
 wherein the input gear is engaged with the driving gear, and the output gear is engaged with the driven gear portion. 
 
     
     
       8. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the support frame is determined to be completely unfolded when the support frame is rotated to a position configured for acquiring an image of a predesignated side-rear region of a vehicle. 
     
     
       9. A camera mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
 a folding unit configured to be rotated with respect to a fixed shaft formed in a base provided in the vehicle; and 
 a support frame in which the folding unit and a camera are respectively mounted at both ends thereof, wherein the support frame is configured to be folded or unfolded to change a position of the camera as the folding unit rotates, 
 wherein the folding unit includes:
 a driving housing; 
 a driving portion being seated on the driving housing and including a driving motor and a driving gear disposed on a rotational shaft of the driving motor; 
 a driven gear portion affixed to the fixed shaft; 
 a first gear portion including a first shaft configured to be rotated about a first axis, a first input gear configured to be rotated with the first shaft and engaged with the driving gear, and a first output gear configured to be rotated with the first shaft and to output a driving force that is input to the first input gear; and 
 a second gear portion including a second shaft configured to be rotated about a second axis, a second input gear configured to be rotated with the second shaft and engaged with the first output gear, and a second output gear configured to be rotated with the second shaft and to output a driving force that is input to the second input gear to the driven gear portion, and 
 
 wherein a reinforcing plate is disposed between end portions of the first shaft and the second shaft and an inner surface of the driving housing, and 
 wherein the driving housing and a cover coupled to the driving housing respectively include a first partition and a second partition configured to divide a space in which the first gear portion and the second gear portion are accommodated and a space in which the driving portion is accommodated. 
 
     
     
       10. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , further comprising a sealing member disposed between an edge of the driving housing and an edge of the cover. 
     
     
       11. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein a number of gear teeth of the first output gear and a number of gear teeth of the second input gear are different. 
     
     
       12. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein an end portion of at least one of the first partition or the second partition includes a step difference having a recessed shape to allow a driving force of the driving portion to be transferred to the driving force transfer portion. 
     
     
       13. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the first output gear has more gear teeth than the second input gear. 
     
     
       14. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein tooth profiles of the first output gear are symmetrical at both sides of the first input gear, and tooth profiles of the second input gear are symmetrical at both sides of the second output gear. 
     
     
       15. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the first output gear and the second input gear include hollow holes into which the end portions of the first shaft and the second shaft are inserted, and each of the hollow holes of the first output gear and the second input gear exhibits a non-circular shape. 
     
     
       16. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the driving housing includes:
 seating grooves into which the end portions of the first shaft and the second shaft are respectively inserted; and 
 a mounting groove formed to be communicated with the seating grooves, allowing the reinforcing plate to be mounted therein. 
 
     
     
       17. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a retainer ring coupled to an end portion of the fixed shaft, 
 wherein an elastic member is disposed between the driven gear portion and the retainer ring. 
 
     
     
       18. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the fixed shaft includes at least one coupling groove formed at the end portion thereof, such that the at least one coupling groove of the fixed shaft is open toward the driven gear portion,
 wherein the retainer ring includes at least one coupling protrusion formed on an inner circumferential surface of a through hole through which the end portion of the fixed shaft passes, and 
 wherein as the retainer ring is rotated while compressing the elastic member, the at least one coupling protrusion is aligned at the at least one coupling groove of the fixed shaft, and the at least one coupling protrusion is inserted into the at least one coupling groove by a restoring force of the elastic member. 
 
     
     
       19. The camera mirror assembly for a vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the support frame is determined to be completely unfolded when the support frame is rotated to a position configured for acquiring an image of a predesignated side-rear region of a vehicle.